Keeping Distance
by lixabiz
Summary: He recognized, in that instant, that the frustration he felt was not because he didn't know how to reject her, but that he had to reject her at all. AyumuxHiyono, fluff.


**Keeping Distance**

"Narumi-san!"

His head whipped around so fast he thought he would pull a muscle in his neck. The wrinkles in his forehead faulted into their usual scored lines as she came to a stop before him, breathless from running.

"Narumi-san," she panted, bent slightly at the waist with a hand on her knee so that they were at eye level with one another. One braid hung loosely over her heaving shoulder. "Finally, I've found you!"

"How-" Ayumu began, annoyance welling up in him. Hiyono flicked her gaze at him, a slight arch in one eyebrow. He stopped, realising it was a stupid question. With her ability to dredge up information, he should have known she would find him. Irked, he changed his question. "What are you doing here?"

She straightened, having nearly caught her breath now. "I came to see you, obviously-" He stood up, ignoring the pitter-patter of droplets that splashed against the back of his shirt, and seized her by the forearm. Unceremoniously, he dragged her away from the water fountain he'd been perched against, away from the crowd of children and lovers who were enjoying the sunny afternoon in the park.

"Where are we going?" she asked, stumbling behind him as he started down a quiet, shaded path.

"For a walk," he replied shortly.

"I meant the flight, Narumi-san," said Hiyono, meeting his sharp glance with a blithe smile.

When he was reasonably sure they were alone, and out of hearing range (but still within sight of the fountain), Ayumu abruptly stopped, dropping her arm. Even if she made a scene he would not back down.

"We aren't going anywhere."

The smile on her face faded into a frown. "Narumi-san wrote in his letter to Madoka-oneesan that he was going away for a few months, and that she shouldn't worry."

Of course. She'd seen the letter. He wondered briefly if she'd broken into his apartment, or if - Ayumu shook his head. It didn't matter. "I didn't say I was going with you."

"Mou! You're just going to go off and have adventures and leave me behind?" She pouted. "Things are so boring without Narumi-san."

"I'm not going away on vacation," he said testily. What was the point in pretending? She already knew. "This could be dangerous."

"Narumi-san... did you ever plan on telling me?"

"Eventually."

"You were going to wait until you'd arrived wherever you're going," she said accusingly, prodding a finger into his shoulder, "Weren't you, Narumi-san? And leave me to worry about where you'd disappeared to! Hidoi!"

Truthfully, he'd planned to give Hiyono a call in a week or so, and had instructed Madoka to tell her he'd be back soon. It was a flimsy plan, but he was short on time and the Blade Children were getting impatient. He'd been banking on reaching his destination before Hiyono noticed. He shrugged. "Even if I didn't, you'd have noticed sooner or later."

"That's unacceptable," Hiyono said, unbothered. "Anyway, it was Narumi-san who said it was dangerous for me to be alone, and what if the Hunters-"

"They'd go after onee-sama first, not an ex-classmate," he interrupted. "While I'm away, Kousuke and Rio will watch over you. You'll be safe here."

She took a step forward. "I'm safer with you." The sincere belief in her voice sent a dull pang through him. "No matter what, Narumi-san-"

"Stupid girl," he said in frustration, wondering how to talk some sense into her. "In the three years you've known me, you've been kidnapped, threatened, and nearly killed more times than I care to remember. All because you won't leave me alone."

"-Narumi-san always saved me in the end."

"You're going to bet your life on that?" he asked, incredulously. "For some excitement?"

"I believe in you," she said simply, looking at him with that soft, sweet countenance of hers. "I just want to be with-"

"Hiyono-" he said tersely, stiffening. "Don't."

If she was surprised to hear her name leave his lips, as it did so rarely, she made no show of it. She took another step towards him, the gravel crunching beneath her feet. "Don't what?"

"I don't want to hear it."

"I can't force you to take me with you-" He looked at her dryly as they both knew she would surely try. She met his scrutiny dead on. "But Narumi-san, you can't stop me from telling you how I feel, either."

He paused, breath catching slightly. And, from somewhere deep down, an honest sentence escaped from him. "Now is not a good time for a confession."

"Narumi-san is going away and I don't know when I'll see you again. This is my last chance."

"Don't be stupid," he almost snapped, "I'm coming back." Forcing himself to stay calm, he fixed a stony gaze on Hiyono, taking in her gleaming hair, affable composure and friendly disposition with equal parts dismay and admiration. With effort, he injected as much certitude into his voice as was possible for a last ditch-effort. "Save it. I'll make sure to come back to reject you."

He thought she would get angry or hit him for his callousness (and wished that she would do either of those things because he was used to them) but instead she laughed; a sweet, girlish note. The sound rolled around warmly in his chest, forcing him to look away.

"As expected of Narumi-san," her voice was affectionate, the murmurs full of yearning, each word twisting his insides. "But I don't believe you."

"You think I'm going to die?"

"I believe Narumi-san will come back alive." She smiled at him. "I don't believe you'll reject me, though."

He stared back at her, struggling to keep his expression impassive, and wondered where that boldness that bordered on overconfidence came from. He could prove her wrong by coldly rejecting her, right then and there. He wanted to do something to make her blush, stammer, run away, and it would be fine. The apologies could come later, when danger was not so convenient. These thoughts swirled around in his head, dense and complicated. After all, he was not given to entertaining thoughts about romance, and from the way he treated others, a confession of love had always seemed unlikely. And if the thought of Hiyono confessing had ever occurred to him, however fleetingly, it would never have happened like this in his head. She was his friend, and she didn't deserve to be hurt this way, but he had no choice.

Aggravated by his own hesitance over something that was for her own good, he said the first thing that came to mind, "Hn. I don't even like you."

It came out all wrong. His voice was too normal, the tone too fond (grimly, he wondered when the fondness had become customary without his noticing) and had he always sounded this childish? Hiyono looked up at him speculatively, drawing even nearer. Her expression was thoughtful. Not angry, or disappointed, but... resolute.

Catching him off guard, she put her hands on his shoulders and pulled him closer, standing up on tiptoe to kiss him. He recoiled, so she ended up bumping her lips against his chin. Her warm breath lingered there, for a second, as the bottom of Ayumu's stomach dropped away, leaving him lurching from the sudden weightlessness. He felt, in an instant, his consternation and reluctance melting clear away. Tilting his head slightly, he threw caution, logic and reason to the wind - and pressed his lips to hers.

It was hard to say if it was a good kiss or not, and it very well may have been a bad one. Ayumu was not experienced in such things. But his response, tentative at first, grew more and more eager and soon he decided that he didn't care.

"So you do like me," she said in a breathless, giddy voice, when the kiss ended.

"I'm eighteen years old and male," he replied, trying to regain composure. Every nerve in his body felt on-edge, raw. "I've got a raging mass of hormones making me do stupid things. I don't stand a chance against this kind of attack."

"Mou." Her hand stole into his, finger sliding against the inside of his thumb; the same warm, soothing presence it always was. "It's a confession, not an attack."

"I don't see a difference."

"People don't attack the ones they love," Hiyono chided softly, pressing a hand to his chest. "And I-"

He swiftly cut her off with another kiss, amazed at how easy it was to kiss her once he'd started. If she said it his resolve would be broken for good, and he didn't want that. "I accept."

She giggled, distracted. "What?"

"Your confession. I accept. Now go home."

"But Narumi-san, I can't," she said, eyes round (he wasn't fooled) and unsurprisingly, there was a triumphant note to her voice. "They're probably watching. I'd be in danger if I stayed here."

He groaned impatiently and pulled away from her, pacing irritably in a circle before rounding back to cup her face with both hands. He said, very seriously, "Stop forcing me into corners. I don't like it."

She pretended to pout. He leaned in and kissed it off her face.

"I've wanted to do that for a very long time," he admitted, tracing his thumb over the soft curve of her jaw. Hiyono sighed contentedly, giving him a look and a smile that said if he took her with him, he could do it all the time. It was a vaguely tempting idea that he quickly brushed aside.

"This is very touching," a familiar voice from behind them droned suddenly. "But I'm afraid you'll have to save the lovey-dovey stuff for later."

He groaned again, inwardly, and removed his hands from Hiyono's face. She looked embarrassed, but Ayumu would not allow himself to give Asazuki Kousuke any more reason to tease, and neither of them moved. All of this, he mused, was Kousuke's fault, anyway.

"You're late," he said flatly.

Kousuke snorted.

"Your flight leaves in three hours," the taller man informed him, ignoring the complaint and handing an envelope to him over Hiyono's shoulder. "So you'd better hurry before it leaves without you." Then he smiled pleasantly - always a dangerous sign - at Hiyono. "Yo, Hiyono-san."

"Hello, Kousuke," Hiyono replied, embarrassment forgotten and eyes trained firmly on the envelope Ayumu was holding.

"Well," said Kousuke, mock-saluting them both, "Ja ne."

Ayumu opened the envelope, and felt his blood roar in his ears. Two plane tickets fell out - Hiyono made a noise that was halfway between a triumphant squeal and a laugh - he spared her a brief, exasperated glare before snapping his head up to shout something uncivilized at Kousuke, who was sauntering down the path into the sunlit clearing where a crowd still gathered around the glistening fountain.

"Have a safe trip," the redhead called out, waving with one lifted hand.

----

_Hidoi_; "terrible"  
_Ja ne_; "see you"


End file.
